Tape cassette

Abstract

A tape cassette includes a cassette case having a pair of side faces, a tape roll contained within the cassette case, a discharge guide portion positioned in the cassette case in a first corner portion provided farthest downstream on a feed path for a tape, a tape exposing portion located on the feed path, in the vicinity of the discharge guide portion and on an upstream side in relation to the discharge guide portion, a tape feed roller provided on the upstream side on the feed path from the discharge guide portion and adjacent to a rear side of the tape exposing portion, a first recessed portion formed in the vicinity of the discharge guide portion in one of the side faces included in the first corner portion, and a second recessed portion disposed in a diagonally opposite position in the cassette case from the first corner portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A tape cassette, comprising:
 a cassette case that has a top face, a bottom face, a front face, a rear face, and a pair of side faces that have lengths in a front-rear direction that are shorter than a length of the front face in a left-right direction, the pair of side faces including a left side face and a right side face that are opposed to each other, a first line being a virtual straight line on a same plane with the bottom face and being an extension of a right edge of the bottom face, a second line being another virtual straight line on the same plane with the bottom face and being an extension of a rear edge of the bottom face, a rearmost end of a right edge of the cassette case being located on a front side of an intersection between the first line and the second line, and a rightmost end of a rear edge of the cassette case being located on a left side of the intersection; 
 a tape roll including a tape provided in the cassette case; 
 an ink ribbon roll including an ink ribbon provided in the cassette case; 
 a tape feed roller which is provided on a right side of the left side face and which is provided in a first corner portion; 
 a first recessed portion that is formed in the left side face, the first recessed portion being provided in the first corner portion, and the first recessed portion being recessed toward the right side face of the cassette case and extending from the top face to the bottom face; and 
 a second recessed portion that is disposed in a diagonally opposite position in the cassette case from the first corner portion and that is formed by a connecting wall that connects the rearmost end of the right edge of the cassette case and the rightmost end of the rear edge of the cassette case, the connecting wall extending from the top face to the bottom face and being at least partly recessed toward the left side face of the cassette case with respect to a first plane which is a virtual plane connecting the rearmost end of the right edge of the cassette case and the rightmost end of the rear edge of the cassette case, the first plane being orthogonal to the same plane with the bottom face. 
 
     
     
       2. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein a distance between the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion is shorter than a length of the tape cassette in the left-right direction. 
 
     
     
       3. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the tape feed roller has a roller hole that passes through the tape feed roller in the up-down direction, the up-down direction being the direction from the top face toward the bottom; 
 wherein the cassette case has a first opening that is provided in the bottom face and that faces the roller hole; 
 wherein the tape cassette further comprises a ribbon winding spool and a second opening that is provided in the bottom face and that faces a hole that is provided in the ribbon winding spool in a center of winding of the ink ribbon; 
 wherein the center of the tape roll is disposed in a first area with respect to a virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion; 
 wherein the center of the ink ribbon roll is disposed in a second area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion, the second area being located on an opposite side of the first area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion; and 
 wherein the center of the ribbon winding spool is disposed in the second area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion. 
 
     
     
       4. The tape cassette according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a third opening that is provided in the bottom face and that faces a hole that is provided in the tape roll in a center of winding of the tape; 
 a fourth opening that is provided in the bottom face and that is provided in front of the second recessed portion, and 
 wherein the center of the winding of the tape in the tape roll is located in a containment area that is one area of two areas into which the cassette case is divided along a line that links the first corner portion and the second recessed portion, and 
 wherein a position of a center of gravity of the tape cassette is positioned within an area that is formed by a line that links the roller hole, the third opening, and the fourth opening to one another. 
 
     
     
       5. The tape cassette according to  claim 4 , wherein the tape roll is a double-sided adhesive tape roll. 
     
     
       6. The tape cassette according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the connecting wall includes a convex portion that is curved in a convex shape in a right rear direction; and 
 wherein the cassette case does not include any portion that protrudes from the connecting wall in an outward direction of the cassette case. 
 
     
     
       7. The tape cassette according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the connecting wall further includes a first ridge portion that extends generally in parallel with the front face from the rearmost end of the right edge of the cassette case and that connects to one end of the convex portion. 
 
     
     
       8. The tape cassette according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the connecting wall further includes a second ridge portion that extends generally in parallel with the right side face from the rightmost end of the rear edge of the cassette case and that connects to the other end of the convex portion. 
 
     
     
       9. The tape cassette according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein a length of the first ridge portion in the left-right direction is longer than a length of the second ridge portion in the front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       10. The tape cassette according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the convex portion has a shape that generally matches a shape of an outer circumference of the tape roll. 
 
     
     
       11. A tape cassette, comprising:
 a cassette case that has a top face, a bottom face, a front face, a rear face and a pair of side faces, the pair of side faces having lengths in a front-rear direction that are shorter than a length of the front face in a left-right direction, the pair of side faces including a left side face and a right side face that are opposed each other; 
 a tape roll including a tape provided in the cassette case and a first opening that is provided in the bottom face, the first opening facing a hole that is provided in the tape roll in a center of winding of the tape roll, the tape roll being a double-sided adhesive tape roll; 
 an ink ribbon roll including an ink ribbon provided in the cassette case; 
 a ribbon winding spool provided in the cassette case and a second opening that is provided in the bottom face and that faces a hole that is provided in the ribbon winding spool in a center of winding of the ink ribbon; 
 a tape feed roller which is provided on a right side of the left side face and which is provided in a first corner portion, the tape feed roller having a roller hole that passes through the tape feed roller in the up-down direction, the up-down direction being the direction from the top face toward the bottom face, the cassette case having a roller opening that is provided in the bottom face and that faces the roller hole; 
 a first recessed portion that is formed in the left side face, the first recessed portion being provided in the first corner portion, and the first recessed portion being recessed toward the right side face of the cassette case and extending from the top face to the bottom face; and 
 a second recessed portion that is formed in the right side face, the second recessed portion being disposed in a diagonally opposite position in the cassette case from the first corner portion, the second recessed portion being at least partly recessed toward the left side face of the cassette case; 
 wherein a distance between the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion is shorter than a length of the tape cassette in the left-right direction; 
 wherein the center of the tape roll is disposed in a first area with respect to a virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion; 
 wherein the center of the ink ribbon roll is disposed in a second area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion, the second area being located on an opposite side area of the first area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion; 
 wherein the center of the ribbon winding spool is disposed in the second area with respect to the virtual straight line connecting the first recessed portion and the second recessed portion; 
 wherein the second recessed portion is defined by a connecting wall, the connecting wall extending in the up-down direction, the connecting wall connects the right side face, the connecting wall being recessed from the right side face toward the left side face; 
 wherein the connecting wall includes a convex portion that is curved in a convex shape in a right rear direction; 
 wherein the cassette case does not include any portion that protrudes from the connecting wall in an outward direction of the cassette case; and 
 wherein the connecting wall further includes a first ridge portion that extends generally in parallel with the front face from a rearmost end of a right edge of the cassette case and that connects to one end of the convex portion. 
 
     
     
       12. The tape cassette according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an arm portion including a portion of the front face, the arm portion extending in the left-right direction, the arm portion defining an oblong hole, the oblong hole extending in the left-right direction of the cassette case, the oblong hole being adjacent to the rear side of the arm portion, the oblong hole passing through the cassette case in an up-down direction; 
 wherein the oblong hole is defined by a first portion, a second portion, a third portion and a fourth portion; 
 wherein the first portion is a rear part of the arm portion, the first portion extending in the left-right direction; 
 wherein the second portion connects with the first portion, the second portion extending in the front-rear direction; 
 wherein the third portion connects with the second portion, the third portion extending in the left-right direction; 
 wherein the fourth portion connects with the third portion, the fourth portion extending in the front-rear direction; 
 wherein the first portion and the fourth portion are separated with each other, the fourth portion being positioned on a left side with respect to the first portion, the first portion and the fourth portion forming an exposing opening between the first portion and the fourth portion, the tape being exposed through the exposing opening; and 
 wherein the left side face forms a slit, the slit being in front of the first recessed portion, the slit extending in the up-down direction, the tape being exposed through the slit, the slit having a width in the up-down direction, the width of the slit being substantially the same as the width of the tape in the up-down direction. 
 
     
     
       13. The tape cassette according to  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a third opening that is provided in the bottom face and that is provided in front of the second recessed portion; 
 wherein a position of a center of gravity of the tape cassette is positioned within an area that is formed by a line that links the roller hole, the first opening, and the third opening to one another. 
 
     
     
       14. The tape cassette according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the connecting wall further includes a second ridge portion that extends generally in parallel with the right side face from a rightmost end of a rear edge of the cassette case and that connects to the other end of the convex portion. 
 
     
     
       15. The tape cassette according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein a length of the first ridge portion in the left-right direction is longer than a length of the second ridge portion in the front-rear direction. 
 
     
     
       16. The tape cassette according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the convex portion has a shape that generally matches a shape of an outer circumference of the tape roll.